A Guide to Bracelets for Men

Think bracelets are for chicks? They are. But there are bracelets for men too…that’s right, dudes just like you. In fact, if you take a look at the wrists of the most stylish guys you know, there’s a strong chance they’re wearing something on their wrists. Why? The bracelet is another opportunity to enhance your personal style and top off the look you’re going for, whatever that may be.

Not sure where to start? Don’t sweat it. Here are four different types of bracelets that any man’s man like yourself can rock from the beach to the office and everywhere in between. Whatever your budget, whatever your style, we’ve got your wrists covered.

Leather

A leather bracelet answers the “aren’t bracelets just for chicks?” question with a question of its own – i.e., “are you man enough to wear this?” A deep, rich brown bit of leather on your wrist signals refined masculinity. Hints of leather are a great way to express your inner rebel without going overboard. Furthermore, if you’re considering wearing several bracelets on one arm for a stylishly accessorized look, a leather bracelet serves as a great anchor piece.

Woven

Wrapping some woven fabric around your wrist is a great way to bring some color to the party. You can find these in just about every shade of color on the color wheel, making woven bracelets a great way to accent any color in your outfit. You can dress woven bracelets up or down, too. Today’s relaxed corporate culture means you can pull off a woven bracelet that picks up a color from your shirt/tie/pocket square in all but the most conservative offices. Still, the same bracelet works equally well for throwing back a few at the beer garden on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Beaded

The beaded bracelet is definitely having its moment. Once relegated to the arts and crafts area of summer camps, refined grown man versions of the beaded bracelet can be seen on the wrists of many a natty man in a suit. The beads can be made with anything from onyx to wood and the prices vary accordingly. There is one rule of thumb that can be applied to any beaded bracelet – the bigger the bead the more casual the bracelet. Save the marble sized rocks for the weekends. For a more formal, sophisticated look, keep it simple with the smaller, pea-sized beads.

Metal

Wearing a metal bracelet can be best summarized by the infamous Mobb Deep, who once said there “ain’t no such thing as halfway crooks.” If you’re going to wrap a hunk of metal on your wrist, you have to be all in and fully committed. Since you’re toeing the line between looking like a badass vs. a cheeseball, you’ve got to make sure you come correct. If you work in a conservative office, keep metal on the sidelines. But when you do have the opportunity, wear them with a more subdued outfit because a metal bracelet can serve as a centerpiece of its own.

Of course, if you’ve got money to burn or you’re looking to show some love to the folks at your favorite custom clothier / style journal (hint, hint), then you can always shell out $44,000 for a men’s LOVE bracelet from Cartier, a 18K white gold bracelet with paved diamonds.

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122 thoughts on “A Guide to Bracelets for Men”

Hi, I think this article is pretty interesting and points out why men also can accessorize up with accessories. I used to love ankle braid bracelet after breaking up with my girlfriend. Yes, it was a couple pair of ankle bracelets. I stopped wearing all kinds of accessories for a while, including watches. Not until my dad gave me his gold watch with gold watch bracelet. (He bought a whole bunch of new watches, so he gave me one of his old one). I found I need to find a bracelet or anything to pair it up. After a long time of searching, I found a piece from Azuro Republic which works well pairing up with my gold watch. They did create some quality bracelets. Also, they claimed they handcrafted the bracelets which I was been pretty skeptical in the first place until I saw it myself. Pretty nice quality I would say, you can visit them here if you want: https://azuro-republic.com/. The one I choose is the gold tiger eye, and I almost wear it with my watch every day.

I like it when folks wear a couple of bracelets on the same wrist from watches. The convention would have you wear your bracelets on your dominant hand’s wrist (inverse your watch). However, that is a genuinely free guideline. I suggest visiting personally here https://leather-wristbands.com/

I have a multi colored beaded bracelet from John Hardy and want to get another bracelet. I do not know whether it is too (something or other) to where another beaded bracelet with similar sized and colored beads, or to go for contrast and buy , for instance, a tiger eye or solid beaded bracelet. Should one wear similar size and colors on the same wrist or change it up. BTW, I am 67 so being cool so I dont want to look too contrived. thanks

It’s a judgment call, Arnold, but we recommend you go with a solid or a neutral like a tiger’s eye to balance out the multicolored bracelet. That will make sure the colorful one doesn’t just muddle your look but really stands out as an accent.

I agree with Black Lapel, the second strand should be a solid colored and definitely a smaller beaded bracelet. And which stone? My favorites are the agate, jade, snakeskin jasper. Like this one http://pin.it/QCOsq_C

Hi, I’m not sure if this comment section is still active since it was a few years since this article was posted – but here goes nothing! I am looking for a birthday gift for my husband and as I have noticed recently, bracelets for men seems to become a trend among men. I found two bracelets that I really like but I am not quite sure which to choose. Do you think you could give me some advice? One is the Black python bracelet with Black push button clasp, the other is the Black 6mm Braided Leather with Push Button Clasp (both from WBracelet).

The braided leather bracelet clasp comes in a variety of colors so that gives you the chance to pick the one that works best for your husband, so we say go with that one. Choose a color that works well with most of his wardrobe and he’ll have ample opportunities to wear it.

Yes, the more guys wear bracelets the more durable they need to be. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of bling, but for everyday wear tough leather and stainless steel get the job done and can add a touch of ruggedness and texture to an otherwise sleek, dressed up look.

Came across this article and loved how you have categorised the bracelets, nice read. I actually enjoyed reading the comments even more as it highlights the style issues guys face.

I’ve recently just set up a fashion startup for men’s bracelets too, but with a twist. They can be personalised with his initials. They are on the high end, but I thought I could share here? Is that ok? What do you think of them?

When you’re not wearing a watch, this is simply a preference. We generally wear our bracelets on our dominant hands and watches on our non-dominant hands. While it’s rare to find a Black Lapel guy without a watch, we’d probably just continue wearing the bracelets on our dominant hands out of habit. Still, there’s no fashion rule you need to worry about running afoul of when it comes to which wrist gets a bracelet. Go with what’s comfortable.

Absolutely not. In fact, if we catch you on the street with your wrists so adorned we will pummel you.

Kidding!

Of course it’s okay, Michael. The watch, traditionally, goes on your non-dominant side and so your bracelets, so as not to interfere with telling time or scratch your watch, generally go on your dominant hand. But none of these rules are worth fretting over. Wear them how you want.

To answer the first question: it depends on what you’re talking about. If you’re in a creative field and dressing casually, the sky’s the limit. As Johnny Depp proves, it’s almost impossible to overdo it on the jewelry if it’s part of your overall look. On the flip side, if you’re talking about wearing a bracelet to work and you’re, say, an accountant in a conservative American office, even one bracelet is a lot on one wrist. You’ll have to use your judgment to determine the right amount of wrist bling. Our advice is to make sure that judgment is informed. Look around at other men who have been in the same setting you’re dressing for longer than you have. In your office, how many bracelets is your boss wearing? If you’re the boss, how many other bosses in your field wear bracelets.

To answer the second question, of course you can wear a bracelet with a wristwatch. It just gets a little crowded and you’re likely to be unbalanced. Plus metal bracelets and watches rubbing against each other is asking for trouble. Unless you’ve got a reason you’re looking to stand out as “different” we’ll, again, advise that you just play by the rules and wear your bracelets opposite your watch.

This brings us to a larger point. And excuse us for offering these unsolicited two cents but here it is: It sounds like you’re looking for some rules to break to display some creativity. We find that a creative attitude is more effective when you don’t telegraph it with contrarian dress. In other words, dress like you want to be taken seriously and people will listen to your out of the box ideas. Dress out of the box and people will dismiss you before they even hear what you have to say.

Oh, and if you’re looking to keep your costs down, stick with the bracelets on the right side above. Though, you should note that this article was published over three years ago so many of the products and prices have since changed.

I’m from South Africa and was introduced to beading by my daughter when she asked me to help her make some bracelets as gifts for her friends. Seemed like a good idea so we went to the bead shop where I bought some hematite beads and black beads to make gifts for my friends. Got some great ideas from your post on Pinterest and now I’m hooked! Make my own bracelets now and started selling to colleagues at work and taking orders. Mens bracelets are actually a highly underated great fashion item. Your advice is very helpful.

Hey 😀 I recently received a leather bracelet as a gift. It is from Ted Baker.http://imgur.com/a/FRkA1 The link shows how it look on my wrist. :/ I have really thin wrists and I want to know if that is too loose for me and what I could do to make it work for me. It drops down my arm quite a lot when my arms are up. :/

We’re not quite sure what to tell you here, Bob. We dig the bracelet but sadly it doesn’t look like it can be shortened. It’s not really a faux paus for the bracelet to be sliding up and down your wrist, it’s just going to get lost under a dress shirt or jacket. Your best bet might be to wear it more often in short-sleeves weather or attire so you can show it off.

We wear our watches on our non-dominant hands and bracelets on our dominants. Aside from giving you a balanced look, this system ensures that your metal watches and bracelets don’t scratch each other. We’ve seen people wear soft (i.e. leather) bracelets on the watch side but aren’t fans of that because the bracelets seem to always obscure the watch face, making telling the time a two-handed activity (one hand to hold the watch, the other to push aside bracelets).

There’s no rule of thumb about that, Petah. Obviously, too tight would be a problem. Loose enough to slip over your hand and fall of is no good. Anything in between those two extremes is a matter of preference.

Is it fine? That depends on your personal style. If you’re a funeral director, say, and you dress in traditional, somber tones with minimal accents, it’s probably not a good idea. But if you find yourself in settings where a Dresden Files reference is appropriate, why not?

I once made myself a turquoise beaded bracelet. The beads are pea-sized (like 7mm), but I can’t think of anything to wear it with…Here, where I live, men mostly wear beads of plastic, wood, or stones that are of darker colors (dark gray, black), whereas turquoise is mostly worn by women. If anyone wonders why I made myself the turquoise bracelet, it’s because I’m Sagittarius, and turquoise is my stone (if you believe in that sort of stuff)

Turquoise bracelets look great with dark gray suits. There’s something about the counterbalance of dark gray and light turquoise that really works. We also like wearing multiple bracelets (though some guys go overboard with that) for maximum effect. It’s a good idea to ground a lighter, brighter bracelet with a sturdy metal cuff or ID bracelet in the adjacent spot on your wrist.

It’s amazing how stupidly expensive some of these simple bracelets are. I can understand the ones with gems for beads but seriously, if you’re a man, make your own things. Learn how to weave cord and leather. It’s not that hard.

It is ok to wear that many in the right setting. Headed to an art gallery in a dashing light suit? Five bracelets are fine by us? Headed to court to prosecute a case in front of a jury? Tone it down a bit and drop the bracelet count to 0.

It’s all about appropriateness. A simple rule of thumb: if you’re doing anything that puts you in charge of large sums of other people’s money (i.e. estate planning or accounting) stick with more conservative accessories.

I always wear a mix of leather and beaded bracelets, goes good with everything and gives the leather ones an elegant touch with silver beads on it. I always get my bracelets from little flea markets in Italy

Yes, you mean you haven’t seen the “We check IDs” sign at the woven bracelets counter at your local department store? They’re very strict about cutting you off after you turn 30.

Seriously, there is such a thing as “age appropriate” dress, but the more important thing to consider is style appropriateness. A 65 year old who dresses “on trend” might rock a slim woven number with a suit at Pitti Uomo. It works for him because it’s style appropriate. However, if you’re a more conservative dresser you may age out of woven bracelets by 17. It’s all about your style. Dress for yourself not by anybody else’s rules (even ours!).

“Goes with everything” is a pretty broad statement, NM. It depends on your style. For some guys, the Railroad Spike Cuff we highlighted above is perfect with a suit. It all reflects your personal style. Good looking metal cuff bracelets are generally pricey, but you can keep costs down by going with alternative materials like this Stainless Steel and Silicone one from Emporio Armani.

Tateossian makes incredible men’s accessories for all of these categories, but for ‘Big Pimpin’ that Scosha bracelet is underwhelming when compared to classics I can’t get enough of (literally, buying one will make you crave more): Yurman 6mm Classic Wheat Chain Bracelet ($545) and the mega-heavyweight Cartier 18K Love Bracelet (~$6000). Even Larry King sports multiple Love Bracelets simultaneously…if that’s not big pimpin’ I dont know what is.

Yes, despite their heavy emphasis on women’s jewelry, Chan Luu does have some good looking bracelets for men. Yes, also, they are expensive, but nice.

This is not an exhaustive list all of the options out there. You could go for years without collecting them all (especially if you’re willing to pay a little more for a gorgeous bracelet from the likes of Luis Morais or David Yurman), but we hope you found some good options here.

I think real men can have fashion and function with a woven bracelet from http://www.survivalstraps.com. They are made from super stong paracord and they have a bracelet in just about any color combination and thickness you can think up. They are inexpensive, so you can have one to coordinate with any BL custom suit, and the best (manly) part about them is that in an emergency, you can unravel your bracelet and deploy the paracord for your use. How James Bond-cool is that? I’m not a salesman, just a happy, fashionable customer.

Yes, Mr. Depp is the king of casual cool. He makes it all look so easy.

And yes, the watch definitely plays a role in dressing the wrist. The NATO strap does the trick (there’s even one on the other hand of our model in the image at the top but it’s obscured by the gloriousness of the bracelets!)

Great article once again. In addition to Facebook, Twitter, and StumbleUpon, you need to add a button for me to share these on Pinterest too. I already follow Black Lapel on there. But it would be nice to just share the article in case it hasn’t been added yet to Pinterest. Thanks!

Whether I’m in uniform, gym clothes, or jeans and a t-shirt, there are three must-haves for me, wrist-accesory wise.

1. A large black O-ring from a 60 kW generator, that I snagged while on deployment. 2. One of those 550 cord woven bracelets. I made it with the help of one of my first NCOs, who’s since died. Even though it’s now a coyote born-ish, I tend to wear with almost everything. 3. A wristwatch. Because Being on time is ALWAYS in style. ;P

While I like the bracelet look on a more urban chic, modernist kind of outfit, I just don’t feel like it can fit in with a suiting outfit, especially with a watch, unless you’re in a creative environment and really dressing in unusual combinations that already have color pop, unusual design elements, etc. It’s great in principle, but it breaks up the elegance of more traditional suiting attire.

Tradition would have you wear your bracelets on your dominant hand’s wrist (opposite your watch), but that is a pretty loose rule. We prefer bracelets opposite the watch so as not to scratch our watches, but when we’re not wearing a watch (informal settings), we’ll drop a bracelet on either wrist.

Yes, multiple bracelets on one wrist is a sharp touch. Everything in moderation, as they say. We’ve seen guys go overboard with the multiple bracelet idea and end up looking like they just played the role of B.A. Baracus in a sock puppet version of an A-Team episode (we pity the fool who doesn’t get that joke).